For a class assignment, Heather Pierce and I created a sample SMNR about the Communications Career Fair that is going to be held next semester. I am going to be planning this career fair with four other communication studies students. The SMNR turned out very nice and I am very excited for the actual event to take place! Please feel free to check our SMNR out 
Sample SMNR December 2, 2008
Celebrity Meltdowns November 23, 2008
This evening when I was watching TV, I came across a special on celebrities and particular mishaps that have impacted their careers. Additionally, the show talked about what the particular celebrity did to try and fix his or her image. Some of the stories on the special were Rob Lowe and his sex scandel, Naomi Campbell and her violent actions, and Mike Tyson and the boxing match when he bit Evander Holyfield’s ear. Shows such as these are successful because a lot of people find celebrity gossip to be entertaining. What people may not have realized is how important the celebrity’s plan of action after the crisis is. The crisis communication plan a celebrity and his or her publicist decide on ultimately directs the celebrity’s future career and reputation.
Although I found this TV show very amusing, as it is right up my alley having to do with PR and celebrities, it did have a negative aspect for the celebrities being featured. For those audience members who were not aware of what these celebrities did, it brought it to their attention. For aware audience members, it reminded them of the scandal. This show proves how difficult it is for celebrities to escape their mistakes. Although there are many successful strategies for celebrities to follow, the scandal will always exist and be viewable through media.
Have a Problem? Fix It ASAP… November 18, 2008
Every company or organization will sooner or later have a crisis that their PR professionals must fix in order for the company to remain successful. Today in class we discussed in detail the ways people can choose to communicate their crisis, which is known as crisis communication. One strategy of solving and preventing future problems is to try to solve the crisis as soon as you see the first sign. It is very important for companies to be alert and monitor their organization so the crisis does not escalate. In other words, the sooner you fix a problem the better.
This idea of fixing a crisis as soon as possible, can be applied to our daily lives as well. As soon as we fix problems in our lives, the better. Once we have conquered whatever is bothering us, the more comfortable we will be and the easier it will be for us to live our life. It is impossible for anybody to predict what type of crisis will come their way. However, if we are aware of the best ways to handle problems, the more successful the process of fixing it will be.
Hanging Out With Cheryl November 7, 2008
As a college student, I am fortunate to spend a large amount of time talking and hanging out with my friends. My conversations with my girlfriends have covered a large variety of topics and the levels of seriousness vary. When we are together, we do not monitor what we say and we are free to be ourselves. Cheryl’s blog was a lot like my hanging out with the girls. She puts everything out there just the way it is and says what she wants to, when she wants to. After reading some of Cheryl’s blog posts, you know exactly what type of person she is. It is very clear that Cheryl is the same person on and off the computer. Since she is a senior in college as well, I can relate to a large majority of her posts and have had many similar thoughts. Whether it was when she was talking about preparing for job interviews or the idea of stalking people through social media, I found myself slightly giggling because it is very true. It was so nice to see she has put these thoughts out in the open for all sorts of people to read and think about. I look forward to reading Cheryl’s blog posts and honesty in the future.
Microblogging and Blurting November 5, 2008
After reading Guest Post- Twitter- To Converse or to Broadcast-THAT is the Question, one theme stood out to me. I learned how important it is not to “blurt” your organization or product on microblogging sites, such as Twitter. This is not positive PR for you or your company and people in the microblogging community will soon stop paying attention to your posts or even put your account in their trash bin. Others will respect you if you actually join the conversation and add value to people who share your same interests.
Positive PR is Always In Style November 2, 2008
While I have been at home in Hilton Head over fall break, I found out that my hair dresser added a new component to her career. She decided to spice up her job a bit by putting on a monthly “contest” where one lucky winner will get styled. The winner’s styling will consist of skin care, make-up, hair styling, wardrobe and a professional photo shoot showcasing the final result. The estimated retail value of this package is $1,000. This is awesome PR for my hair dresser for several reasons. First of all, a local magazine titled, Celebrate Hilton Head ran a large article on her, what she does, and this new contest. The contest gets her name out into the community and shows she is giving back to the area. Additionally, locals will see what she is doing and learn about her and her style. She will very likely receive more clients based on this new monthly contest.
Blogging & Blogger Relations October 27, 2008
Blogger relations is a very important part of working with PR. When working with your clients, it is essential to always listen to them, just like any other relationship. You want to guide them in the right direction in using their blog and aid them in deciding what their blogging goal is. Your client should be very clear about their goals and who their target audience is.
When creating and running an organizational blog, it is necessary to have first followed other similar blogs. This is an easy way to learn a lot about the blogging world. It is also important to have a visually appealing blog to attract readers. All blog posts should also be sincere. Organizational blog posts should never put information out there just because. They should make sure they feel passionate about what they are speaking about.
There are several things an organization should avoid when running a blog. First, it is very important to avoid writing too much about your company’s products and services because these types of blogs should not be used for advertising. Instead, you should blog about subjects that interest your target audience. An organization should never want their blog to blend in with others. However, depending on what type or organization it is, it is important to consider how professional the blog looks.
Online Monitoring Assignment October 13, 2008
After researching online media tools about the Clemson vs. Wake Forrest football game played on October 9, 2008, my partners and I found several common themes. We created a PowerPoint to display this information.
PR Example in Us Weekly October 12, 2008
When one opens a popular magazine, it is very likely that he or she will be exposed to dozens of public relations examples. However, one particular example stood out to me in the October 13, 2008 issue of Us Weekly. The article is about Britney Spears and her new diet. It talks about how much weight she has successfully lost and shows pictures of her that display her weight loss. In addition for this being good PR for Britney Spears, as it reveals that she has made positive changes in her life, it also is great PR for the particular diet she is on. Throughout the article it says the name of the meal-delivery plan she is on, what cities it is available in, how much it costs per day, and a website one can go to to learn more about the plan. This article could very likely encourage readers to start this diet because they see how well it has worked for Britney Spears.
Social Media Tools October 7, 2008
I enjoyed researching list of social media tools by Chris Brogan as it is always interesting and important to learn about the online applications that exist. I found the Social Bookmarking and Social News Sites especially interesting. I have never browsed through sites like these before and thought it was so neat how one is able to separate what they like from the web. People are able to basically frame what they look at from the news. In the fast paced world we live in today, this is beneficial because it saves people a lot of time. People no longer have to waste time browsing through information that they do not care to read.
In addition, I noticed a lot of similarities between blogging sites, microblogging sites, and social networks. These similarities include:
- They require an email to login and/or create an account.
- The sites make it easy to create an account. There is a distinct and obvious spot to click on to join the network.
- They all try to make the site seem easy to use. This is because humans are typically drawn to things that seem easy. If the network appears easy to use, people are more likely to actively use it.
- They commonly mention expressing oneself and/or connecting with others on the front log in page.
